Beijing Olympic Games

Dibaba sets women’s 5,000 world record

By John Acher and Wojciech Moskwa

OSLO, June 6 (Reuters) - Twice world 10,000 metres champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia shattered the world women’s 5,000 record when she clocked 14 minutes 11.15 seconds at the Oslo Golden League meeting at the Bislett stadium on Friday.

Dibaba broke the previous mark of 14:16.63 set by her compatriot Meseret Defar at the same stadium on June 15 last year.

The early pace was set by Anna Alminova of Russia before Dibaba, one of three sisters in the race, pulled away halfway through the race on a balmy evening in the Norwegian capital.

Lucy Wangui of Kenya was second in 14:33.49, a personal best for her, and sister Ejegayehu Dibaba was third in 14:36.78 at the second of the six Golden League meetings of the season.

Dibaba, the world indoor 5,000 record holder, said before the meeting she would try for a world record.

However, her performance does not count towards the $1 million Golden League jackpot shared between athletes who win each of their events as the women’s 5,000 is not one of the 10 disciplines this season.

Earlier, U.S. Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner set a year’s best of 43.98 seconds in the 400 metres.

Wariner was beaten to the line in the opening Golden League meeting last Sunday by fellow-American LaShawn Merritt.

Bahama’s Christopher Brown was second in 44.40 seconds and Costa Rica’s Nery Brenes third with 45.21 seconds on a warm breezy evening at the Bislett stadium in the Norwegian capital.

Russia’s world record holder Gulnara Galkina also set a year’s leading time of nine minutes 14.77 seconds in the women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase, running away from a strong field. The event makes its Olympic debut in Beijing this August.

Galkina beat compatriot and world champion Yekaterina Volkova by nearly four seconds, with Australia’s Donna Macfarlane third.

Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas won the men’s 100 metres in 9.98 seconds. (Reporting by John Acher and Wojciech Moskwa; Editing by John Mehaffey)